Cultural and ethnopharmacological uses of wildlife in the himalayan region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

Pakistan has a rich cultural and faunal diversity, which sustains several ethnic communities that rely on traditional medicine for primary care. The Himalayan region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan is rich in biodiversity and home to a variety of ethnic communities, each of which practices its own ethnobiological medicine. Despite this, little is known about the use of animal-based traditional medicine in this area. This project seeks to investigate and describe the cultural and medicinal uses of animals among indigenous groups in the study area. The study was carried out in the Himalayan region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. To document the cultural medicinal applications of wild animals in the traditional healthcare system, 149 selected respondents were interviewed in person using a semi-structured questionnaire. Images were also taken with a Nikon camera and a Tamron wildlife lens. The collected data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019; quantitative ethnobiological indices such as frequency of citation (FC), fidelity level (FL), relative popularity level (RPL), rank order priority (ROP), and similarity index (SI) were calculated to assess the reliability and significance of the respondents’ information. This study recorded 41 species: 3 fish species, 1 amphibian species, 5 reptiles, and 22 avian species, used by ethnic communities in the study area to address a wide range of ailments. These animals were utilized in cultural (e.g., food, fun, export, magic, superstitious, narratives, entertainment, hunting/fishing, and trade) and ethnomedicinal practices to treat various diseases, including asthma, bronchitis, cough, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, impotence, joint pain, kidney stones, liver diseases, male infertility, muscular pain, paralysis, piles, premenstrual pain, sciatica, skin diseases, smallpox, snake bites, tuberculosis, weakness, and wound healing. The highest frequency of citation was recorded for the Rhesus Macaque (FC = 45), followed by the Himalayan Ibex (FC = 43) and the Himalayan Monal (FC = 37). Other notable species include the Himalayan Black Bear (FC = 37), Kalij Pheasant (FC = 36), Kashmir Catfish, Kashmir Loach, Grey Goral, and Koklas Pheasant (FC = 33). The species with the lowest citation frequency (FC = 2) was the white-throated laughingthrush. This study details 41 wildlife species and their cultural and therapeutic utilizations among the study area’s indigenous people. It documents the importance of wildlife-based traditional medicine in treating a wide range of health problems. The observed variation in Frequency of Citation (FC) values among various species demonstrates the dynamic relevance of these resources in local healthcare systems. The identification of novel species and previously unknown usages makes a substantial contribution to the advancement of ethnobiological knowledge. As traditional medicine continues to be an important healthcare resource in communities with limited access to contemporary healthcare resources, it is important to prioritize the documentation, management, conservation and long-term usage of these species.